INC. ALL CONTENT COPYRIGHTED ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
DISSEMINATION, STORAGE, DISTRIBUTION PROHIBITED,
NEWS-THURSDAY, FEBIRJARY 19, 1976
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)'-Sixth Year Thursday, February 19, 1976 Florala, Alabama 36442 Covington Count
 o o o o  o o   o  o o                         o o o o o  o  o  o  *   o o o * o  
i '
>.
ecyclin,
Aluminum recycling was
down in Florala during January
but local people still earned
$314.70 for 2,097 pounds of
alum4num cans and other clean
household aluminum.
John Snellen, district man-
ager for Reynolds Aluminum
Recycling, said the highest
month for Florala since the
mobile unit started coming here
in February, 1975, was March,
1975, when the Reynolds mobile
unit manager paid area
recyclers $612.15 for 4,081
pounds of aluminum.
Mr. Snellen said the January
purchases represented the
own
rea
equivalent of more than 48,000
aluminum beverage cans which
might otherwise have been litter
or filling up valuable landfill
space. "It also conserved
natural resources and energy
since aluminum can be recycled
with less than five percent of
the energy needed to make it
originally."
The Reynolds Recycling
mobile unit stops in Florala
on a dirt road north of the old
armory and parallel to the rail-
road tracks every-other-
Wednesday from I:00 to 2:30
P.M. and the next stop will
be February 25.
Proper Garden Tool
100 stolen cars have
Andalusia during
according to fed-
agents, who are
a car theft ring
across the South.
Agent James
FBI has bro-
ring that was
Houston, Tex-
at changing the serial numbers.
The car theives "are the best
we've ever run up against,"
said Waldrop. "The quality of
their work is just fantastic,"
added FBI Agent C. K. Hall-
ford'.
Waldrop said the thefta have
been going on since Decem-
ber 1974. The ring was first
cracked January g3 when two
the cars.:: /Houston residents,
which were
luxury
ended up on two
in Andalusia. The
of each stolen
~, said Sgt. N. L.
theft unit, Ala-
of Investigation.
said Wednesday that
~rs have already
in Andalusia.
the investigation
process will
least 30 more
that $500,000
stolen cars
Sold in Andalu-
Said the unsus-
are really in a
t "They've still
he loans they got
Cars. Then if they
the cars, they've
insurance com-
inal owner.
to pay for the
the state agent
agent said that
stolen cars were
married couples
looking for ears
children.
residents, Mr. and
were vie-
auto theft ring.
the car De-
1975 from Fuqua
Andalusia. Ac-
the car
mileage and he
a fair deal so he
Purchase the car.
it was a deal-
but was not
had owned the
ary 26, the FBI
and told him
he had bought a
~)n February 4, the
and advised Hamil-
his car to Rad-
and
to leave it for
after
found to be st-
one of those sto-
~ember ~.9 in the
area. The car
lot for
you some idea
ast the car theft
the stolen re-
at 6to8aday.
are presently al-
to drive his
Olds Cutlass Su-
Some kind of set-
worked out with
 ~ Companies. Ham-
working young
meat market at
in Florala, where
to come by.
and Flo-
'#ish him good luck
to keep the car
rouble payment.
the se-
of stolen cars
futile because
such a good job
Donald
Wayne Myers, 42, andThelton
Jean Smithwick, 49, were ar-
rested after eight stolen vehic-
les were recovered in a Hous-
ton warehouse.
The Alabama portion of the
ring was hard to break, accord-
ing to the ABI agents, because
all the stolen cars were 1972,
73, and 74 models, which are
not covered by Alabama's auto
title law.
No arrests have been made
in Alabama , but Waldrop said
some federal indictments will
probably be forthcoming soon.
All of the stolen cars recov-
ered so far in Andalusia were
sold at two used car lots,
Fuqua Motors, owned by Jeff
Fuqua, and Thomas's Used
Cars, owned by Thomas Wig-
gins.
Fuqua says he bought all the
cars from Wiggins and was told
by Wiggins that the cars were
rental and lease cars from
On doctors orders, Frank
Harrison, who has been em-
ployed with the City of Flo-
rala for the past ~-5 years, was
forced to retire, due to failing
health.
During his 25-year-tenure,
Harrison has worked with near-
ly every department in the city,
but primarily with the Water
Board and the past four years
has served as Street Superinr
tendeni.
' Harrison and his wife, Lolie,
make their home at 1948 West
Fifth Street. They are parents
of six children.
Cody McKinney will replace
Harrison as Street Superinten-
dent. He has worked with the
city for 16 years on the street
and in the garbage departments.
He served as Street Superinten-
dent during Carlos Buffalow's
administratioR and during the
first part of the Evans' admin-
istration.
McKinney is ,a very reliable
worker and has pledged to do
his very best in his newly as-
si~ned position.
Frank's many friends are
sorry to see him leave his posi-
tion with the city and wish for
him a happy retirement.
Houston. Fuqua added that he
spot-checked the cars with the
Andalusia Police Department to
see if they were listed as sto-
len, and he always got a nega-
tive report.
"I had no reason to ever think
they might be stolen automo-
biles," said Fuqua, who has
been in the used car business
five years.
~Wiggins has decli~d to com-
ment on the stolen autos, and his
used car lot is now closed.
Like their customers, Fuqua
and Wiggins also stand to lose
money on the stolen cars. Fu-
qua is stuck with seven stolen
cars, and three Andalusia resi-
dents who bought stolen cars
from him have filed suits
against him totaling $27,000.
Not all of the stolen cars
were unloaded in Andalusia.
Waldrop said some may have
been sold in an auto auction in
Dothan and in Georgia, Florida,
and Tennessee.
During the last five years,
Covington County has been the
dropping off point for many sto-
len vehicles, the agents noted.
Only last May, $Z50,000 worth
of stolen cars, trucks, tractors,
and fertilizer spreaders were
found in the county, said T. E.
Posey of the National Auto
Theft Bureau.
Selection Important
The tools needed for gard-
ening depend upon the size of
the garden you areplaniing. If
you plan a "flowerbed" garden,
a shovel, hoe and rake may be
all that are necessary. How-
ever, if you plan to grow an
average size garden, these
tools, along with a rotary tiller
are necessa.ry. For a large
garden, a small tractor would
be ideal
When purchasing garden
tools, spend alittle more money
and get good quality equipment.
Good tools will do a better job
and last much longer than
economy models.
Rotary tillers are available
for from $175 up to about $500.
A smaller, less ezpensivetiller
will do most jobs, but will take
longer and require more work
and strain on the operator. You
need to select a tiller to meet
your specific needs.
When-selecting a tiller one
very important characteristic
to consider is a power-reverse
gear. The larger, more ex-
pensive tillers have power re-
verses. It is very difficult
to handle a large tiller that does
not have a power-reverse. A
power-reverse is necessary if
someone is to operate the tiller
who is not physically strong
enough to handle it during turns
and in other tight spots.
If you select a tiller with
a power-reverse, be sure that
it has the safety device that will
disengage the clutch when the
operator's band is removed
from the handle. This will
keep the tiller from running
over the operator if the oper-
ator falls while he is backing
up.
Another feature to consider
when selecting a tiller is a
multiple-speed transmission.-
The lower speed can be used
for tilling hard soil and the
higher speed for tilHng loose
soil such as cultivating crops.
Other factors to consider are
the diameter of the cutting tines,
the width of cut, and the size
of the tires. The larger, more
expensive tillers will have
larger tines, wider cutting
widths, and larger tires.
Another piece of equipment
that is necessary for an average
size garden is a hand sprayer.
A two-gallon, pump-up sprayer
can handle most spraying jobs
around the home and garden.
A ~tainiess steel tank will last
longer than a galvanized tank but
will cost more. Either tank
must be washed out and
thoroughly dried after each use
to keep it in good condition.
All tools and equipment ~e-
quire good maintenance and dr~
 storage facilities. These points
should be considered before
purchasing any equipment.
Gardening equipment will last
the home gardener several
years if it is properly main-
tained and stored during the off
season. Without good care,
any equipment can bedestroyed
in a very short time.
The Boy Scouts of America
now have a new merit badge
on their list--consumer buying.
McKINNEY NEW STREET SUPERINTENDENT
., Frank Harrison
T I)EI
 . Cody McKlnney
PAGE 5
A seven-woman, five-man
Circuit Court jury Wednesday,
Feburary II, found two Crest-
view brothers guilty of first
degree murder in connection
with the shooting death of a
north Walton County tavern
owner last June.
After deliberating about an
hour and a half, the jury re-
turned the decision against Leon
Judson Tidwell,  31, and
Frederick Wiley Tidwell, 25.
Both defendants and their
families heard the verdict read
without showing any emotion.
However, the mother of the two
boys later heatedly accused the
widow of murdered tavern
owner Auburn Tedder of lying
on the witness stand about
seeing her sons inside the
tavern the morning of the
slaying that June 18.
Judge Woodrow Melvin pro-
mptly reconvened court session
to admonish Mrs. Tidwell and
other relatives that he would
tolerate no such disturbances.
As the courtroom was slowly
clearing, the convicted brothers
embraced various sobbing
family members before de-
puties took them back to the
jail.
Judge Melvin asked the jurors
to return Thursday, February
12 to begin penalty proceed-
ings, wherein they were asked
to make recommendations on
whether the two brothers should
be give the death penalty.
Earlier in the court day,
Mary Tedder, the dead man's
widow, testified she had seen
the two brothers standing over
her husband just moments be-
fore he was shot to death.
The Tedders were sleeping in
a bedroom adjoining the tavern,
she said, when her husband
shook her awakesaying, "Baby,
there's somebody in the play-
house." Mrs. Tedder said she
 returned to see her husband on
the floor, bleeding and "barely
breathing." She said the Tid-
wells were not there, but she,
nevertheless, remained in the
bedroom until an ambulance
crew arrived.
Under persistant questioning
went to a window looking out
into the tavern and saw
Ferderick Tidwell taking the
silver out of the cash register.
When Frederick turned away
from the cash register, she
testified, she spoke to her hus-
band, but he was not in the bed-
room. Opening the door to an
adjacent storeroom, Mrs.
Tedder said her husband was
lying on his back and the two
brothers were bending over
him, Leon holding Tedder's
hands in his.
"Auburn said 'Baby, shoot
em', Mrs. Tedder testified. She
went back into the bedroom to
get a gun and heard two shots,
according to her testimony, and
by defense council George Ralph
Miller, Mrs. Tedder stead-
fastedly maintained the two
brothers were the two men she
saw in the storeroom that morn-
ing.
A defense witness, Larry
Wang, said Mrs. Tedder hadtold
him she hadn't seen the two
brothers in the storeroom that
night. "You mean to sit there
and tell me you was back there
in the, backroom and you didn't
see anything?" Wang said he
asked her. "No, I didn't," he
quoted her as saying.
Asst. State Atty. Bill Jennings
called Wang's testimony,"in-
credible." He asked Wang why
she would tell him, a "not very
close" friend, something dir-
ectly contradictory to what
she had told investigating
officers and intended to testify
to in court.
Wang still maintained he re-
remembered the remark
correctly.
RESCUE
SQUAD
REPORT
The Tri-City Rescue Squad
made a total of I0 runs for 1,042
miles, using 60 man hours.
Citizens calling for service
were A. C. Aplin from Florala
Memorial Hospital to West
Florida General in Pensacola;
Marlin Wiggins from Laurel
Hill to Crestview hopsital; Ha-
zel Jackson from micro-wave
tower on 331 to West Florida
General, Pensacola; Charles
Ferrel from Laurel Hill to
Eglin AFB hospital; Edward
Couey from Florala to Mizell
Memorial in Opp; Charles Fer-
tel from Crestview to Evans
Funeral Home; R D. Jackson
from Florala to l~'t. Walton
hospital; Christine Arnold from
home to Florala Memorial and
from Florala Memorial to Ft.
Walton Beach hospital and from
Ft. Walton to Evans Funeral
Home.
CADET MAJOR MIKE ADKINS, Executive Officer of the Daleville High School Junior ROTC
Battalion, was recently presented the Legion ofValor'sBronze Cross for Achievement for his out-
standing leadership and achievement in the JROTC Program. Making the presentation is Chief
Warrant Officer Michael Novosel, a Medal of Honor winner. The Legion of Valor's Bronze Cross
is the highest award an ROTC Cadet can receive.
Cadet Michael Adkins Receives
Achievement A ward Medal
Cadet Major Michael Adkins, Daleville High School to the
Daleville High School Junior 1975 Alabama Boy's StateCon-
ROTC received the Legion on vention. A vice-president of
Valor Bronze Cross for Ach- the student council during his
ievement from Chief Warrant junior year, Adkins showed
Officer Michael Novosel, hold- excellent leadership capabil-
er of the Medal of Honor.
The Legion of Valor, Amer-
ica's senior organization for
veterans, is made up of those
individuals who have been aw-
arded the Medal of Honor, the
Distinguished Service Cross,
the Air Force Cross or the
Navy Cross.
The Legion of Valor Bronze
Cross for Achievement is the
highest award available to
JROTC cadets. Each year,
only one cadet in a thousand is
considered by the Legion for
this award. Cadet Major Ad-
kins is one of two cadets in
Alabama who received this
award.
To be eligible for the Bronze
Cross, a cadet must show scho-
larship both in ROTC and his
academic subjects and leader-
ship qualities in each. Cadet
Adkins is in the top I0 per cent
of his class with a 96.4 acade-
mic average. He is second in
his ROTC class and holds a
97.6 average.
In addition to maintaining a
"A" average, Adkins has let-
tered in basketball, baseball,
football and was selected Best
Defensive Back for the 1974-
75 season with a team that
went 8-2. Coach and Athlete
magazine choose him for Prep
All-American Team. He is a
graduate of the Emergency Me-
dical Technician course oi
Geoi'ge C. Wallace State Co-
mmunity College.
He was the delegate from
ities and a willingness to ac-
cept responsibility over and be-
yond that of the average stu-
dent.
Cadet Adkins currently holds
the position of Battalion Exe-
cutive Officer and is a mem-
ber of Student Council, Na-
tional Honor Society, and the
Science Club at Daleville High
School.
He is president of the Senior
Class of Daleville High School,
where he will graduate this
year and is on the Junior Board
of Directors at Fort Rucker
First National Bank, and is an
active member of Daleville Me-
thodist Chur(:h.
Michael is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Billy Adkins of Dale-
ville, Alabama, and the grand-
son of Mr. and Mrs. Grady
Brooks of Florala, Alabama.
POWELL
Cont. From Front
all affairs pertaining to this
important post.
Powell lost his wife in Au-
gust of 1958 and reared and
offer his past record of service
to Covington Countians during
his three successive terms, in
office and hopes it will merit
the approval and support of
voters.
educated his four sons at a
Solar
Heat
Use
definite disadvantage, but, up~
nonetheless, doing a good job.
His oldest son, Thomas, st-
tended Auburn University and
carries on a very successful
farming operation with his fa-
ther serving in an advisory ca-
pacity. His second son, Car-
los, is a member of the teach-
ing faculty at Florala High
School. Glen, son #3, is a gra-
duate of an electronics school
in Birmingham and makes his
home in Marietta, Georgia and
is employed in Atlanta with
Western Electric Company.
Paul, the youngest, teaches
school at Darlington, Florida.
Both he and Carlos are gra-
duates of Troy State Univer-
sity. All four boys are gra-
duates of Florata High School.
Powell says that he can only
Oil Savings Are Small
'l'he Federal Energy Admin-
istration reports that U.S. out-
put of medium-temperature
solar collectors, of the type
used to heat homes, increased
400 per cent in the first half
of 1975, to a total of 276,000
square feet.
However, the FEA points
out that the maximum equiva-
lent amount of energy that all
276,000 square feet of collec-
tors could absorb would amount
to only 108 barrels of oil per
day. The U.S. currently uses
about 16 million barrels per
day.